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The Economist ranks Vienna the world’s most liveable city

Vienna and Melbourne, Australia, have been fighting for the top spot in the Economist rankings for years. This time, the Austrian capital took the crown.

After seven long years, there has been a change at the top of the renowned British business magazine’s list of the world’s most liveable cities, with the Australian metropolis Melbourne finally ceding top place to Vienna. Places further down the list were awarded to Osaka (Japan), Calgary (Canada) and Sydney (Australia).

Vienna’s success represents the first time a European city has taken first place in the annual Economist Intelligence Unit survey. Having occupied a solid second place in previous years, Vienna has taken seven years to overtake Melbourne and reach pole position. This year’s rankings saw both cities achieving perfect scores for their healthcare system, education, culture and infrastructure but what tipped the balance in Vienna’s favour was – according to the study – its safety, political stability and low crime rate.

The annual Economist Intelligence Unit rankings compare infrastructure, education, healthcare, stability and cultural life in 140 major cities. The results are not to be confused with those of the annual study published by the consultancy Mercer, which also recently rated Vienna the world’s most liveable city – for the ninth time in a row.